The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 11/10/2010 10:28 AM | Headlines
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Obama also said Istiqlal, which means Independence, was a symbol of Indonesia’s struggle for independence, adding that the fact that it was designed by a Christian architect was a reflection of Indonesia’s pluralist philosophy.
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I am sure the discovery of the architect of the Muslim Istiqlal Grand Mosque being a Christian was AFTER-THE-FACT, and not before or during construction !
What were they going to do after it was already built, tear it down ? Do you really believe that the Indonesian building officials would have approved the building and architectural plans knowing in advance that the architect was a Christian ?! So, President Obama using this a causal relationship or juxtaposition to show "pluralist philosophy" is erroneous and highly misleading. Do you really believe that when the Muslin Grand Mosque was being envisioned and commissioned that the Indonesian government set out to make a "statement" for future generations by having it designed by a Christian architect?! Please Mr. President, do not insult our intelligence here! Perhaps the architect converted later from Muslim to Christian, and at the time the building plans were drafted and envisioned, the architect was still a Muslim. Let's get our facts straight here, Mr. President, before we draw any conclusions.
I am not sure how sincere that welcome really was. As a Christian (Catholic) myself, I attend Christian worship services each Sunday here in Jakarta. I asked my wife why all the churches we have been going to have been located in shopping malls or other commercial/retail type of buildings and not a stand-alone separate church building structure or on land as we know a "church" to be in America. She informed me that the Government of Indonesia will not issue (or makes it so difficult, cost prohibitive, or bureaucratically prohibitive) for a building use-permit to be issued for a separate stand-alone Christian church on separate land.. So we are "permitted" to worship here as Christians, but are somewhat hidden from plain view or site by such "isolationism" in this country which has the largest Muslim population in the world. Muslims constitute approximately 86% of the population in Indonesia; whereas only 9% of the population here is Christian.
I am not sure what "pluralist philosophy" President Obama is referring to here, but I as a local resident expat am not seeing any manifestation of it. Christian worship tolerance and "isolationism" perhaps, but not true "pluralist" integration in society here as President Obama would have you believe.
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Although religious freedom is stipulated in the Indonesian constitution, the government officially recognizes only six religions; Islam, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Although it is not an Islamic state, Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, with 86.1% of Indonesians declared Muslim according to the 2000 census. 9% of the population is Christian.
Notwithstanding any such declaration of "religious freedom" in the Indonesian Constitution, one can clearly see where Christianity is being quashed, repressed or "controlled" here through official government and bureaucratic processes which aim to clearly restrict Christianity in Indonesia. There is in fact a government agency, The Ministry of Religious Affairs, whose objective is to do just that; quash, suppress or "control" Christianity in Indonesia. Their website states, with regard to Christian "Guidance" and official government policy, that their objective is to:
- formulate and define the vision, mission, policy and technical guidance in the field of Christian community based on the implementation of policies established by the Minister and based on Regulation of legislation that applies;
- formulation of standardization, norms, guidelines, criteria, procedures and guidance in the field of Christian community;
- implementation of policy guidance in the field of Christian community;
- provision of technical evaluation and implementation tasks;
- implementation of the directorate-general administration.
There cannot be true "religious freedom" when a particular faith is so regulated as stipulated above. Moreover, how can a government declare true "religious freedom" when it only recognizes 6 of the nearly 42 or more basic belief systems in the world?! Furthermore, true "religious freedom" would include the right to worship, or not to worship or be subject to any religion or have any religion imposed on you, as the case may be.
Here in Jakarta, at around 6:00 p.m. in the evening across ALL local broadcast TV stations a Muslim prayer or invocation is broadcast. Imagine if the U.S. had a requirement for ALL local broadcast TV stations to have a moment of Christian prayer ? That would actually be a good thing; but the U.S. recognizes true religious freedom, separation of church and state, and the freedom to NOT practice a religion or have one imposed on you. So while Indonesia declares "religious freedom" in its Constitution, one is free to only practice 6 religions AND one MUST or SHALL be subjected to Muslim prayers and holidays. What type of "freedom" is that?!
Under a true Constitutional decree or proclamation of "religious freedom" their would be no governmental "Ministry of Religious Affairs" to promulgate laws, rules and regulations on the practice of one's faith... you would be free to practice your faith without governmental control or interference.
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